Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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W096/20840 PCT/GB96/00002
PERFORATED ADHESIVE ASSEMBLY
This invention relates to a perforated adhesive
assembly.
Perforated self-adhesive films have a variety
of uses, including providing a solar shading device
when applied to windows. Perforated self-adhesive
film may also be provided with a design applied to
one side which is not visible from the other side, as
described in British Patent No.2165292 and
corresponding US Patent No.4673609. These patents
disclose an embodiment in the form of a perforated
film or other material, sometimes referred to as a
perforated ~Ifacestock", a layer of perforated self-
adhesive, sometimes referred to as a pressure-
sensitive adhesive and a perforated protective film
to the adhesive, sometimes referred to as a
perforated "liner". The perforated protective film
or liner is removed to expose the adhesive prior to
application of the perforated facestock to a window
or other surface.
The problem with these perforated assemblies is
~ that if paint or ink is sprayed onto the facestock
there is nothing to stop the paint or ink from
penetrating the perforations leading to the presence
of paint or ink where it is not wanted and thus
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producing a very poor finished ~rod~çt. Further ~f
such a perforated assembly is printed on a vacuum
bed, such as is commonly used with screen printing
machines, the perforations prevent the perforated
material from being held down on the printing bed by
vacuum. Moreover the application of the vacuum to
the underside of the perforated assembly can
positively suck ink through the holes in the
perforated material which, as already stated, is
undesirable and can also suck ink into the vacuum
system itself with very damaging results.
GB-A-224 4585 to Akers discloses a perforated
self-adhesive assembly comprising a clear perforated
film which is typically printed with a design, a
self-cling or self-adhesive layer and a window or
other base material. The self-cling or self-
adhesive layer may be protected by a peel off backing
paper or card, before bein~g applied to the window or
other base material.
FR-A-2693950 to Gautreneau discloses a
perforated paper with an unperforated backing sheet
of paper which is typically connected at only one
edge of the perforated paper. The unperforated
backing sheet overcomes problems of printing a
perforated paper sheet.
NDED S~E~
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2~
Perforated ~elf-adhesi~e assem~ie~ comprising
a perforated facestock, a perforated adhesive and an
opaque perforated paper liner with an additional
unperforated liner have been used in the USA.
Typically, the additional unperforated self-adhesive
plastic film was adhered to the perforated liner, as
a means of overcoming printing problems. Also, a
design was typically printed on the perforated
facestock to form the product for sale. The
perforated liner and the additional unperforated
liner were removed together and the imaged perforated
facestock adhered to a window by means of the
perforated adhesive layer. Such products are
believed to have been manufactured by Visual
Technologies, Inc. of Pineville, N.C. USA and placed
in the public domain not later than September 1993.
Typically in such products, the design was
printed "verso" facing a clear perforated facestock
and the build-up of applied colouring matter during
imaging the design and the finished design were not
visible until removal of the opaque perforated paper
liner and additional unperforated liner. Thus, the
printer or customer could not inspect a product
before installation without removing the opaque
perforated paper liner and additional unperforated
A~E~lDED SHEET
CA 02208716 1997-06-2
2B
liner, thus damaging the produc~ fo~ ~ny ~ubse~ue~t
use.
The present invention has been made in order to
overcome these problems and provide additional
benefits.
According to the invention a method of forming
a partially perforated assembly comprising a
perforated facestock material, a self-adhesive
attached on one side thereof to said perforated
facestock material and an unperforated liner having a
release surface, said release surface of said
unperforated liner being attached to the other side
of said self-adhesive, said method being
characterised by the steps of forming a temporary
assembly comprising said perforated facestock
material, said self-adhesive and a temporary carrier
attached to said other side of said self-adhesive,
removing said temporary carrier and applying said
release surface of said u~;perforated liner to said
other side of said self-adhesive.
The invention also provides a method of forming
a partially perforated assembly comprising a
perforated facestock material, a self-adhesive
attached on one side thereof to said perforated
facestock material and a base material attached to
the other side of said self-adhesive, said method
being characterised by the steps of forming a
A~AE~DED SHEET
=
CA 02208716 1997-06-2
temporary assembly comprisir~g said ~Pr~o.rated
facestock material, said self-adhesive and a
temporary carrier attached to said other side of said
self-adhesive, removing said temporary carrier and
applying an unperforated liner to said other side of
said self-adhesive, removing the liner and applying
said perforated facestock material and said self-
adhesive to said base material.
The invention further provides a method of
forming a partially perforated assembly comprising a
perforated facestock material, a perforated self-
adhesive attached on one side thereof to said
perforated facestock material and an unperforated
liner attached to the other side of said self-
adhesive, said method being characterised by the
steps of forming a t~emporary assembly comprising a
facestock material, a self-adhesive and a temporary
carrier attached to said other side of said self-
adhesive, perforating said facestock material and
said self-adhesive and said temporary carrier
simultaneously, removing said temporary carrier and
applying said unperforated liner to said other side
of said self-adhesive.
In addition the invention provides a method of
forming a partially perforated assembly comprising a
perforated facestock material, a self-adhesive
A~AE1lDE
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3A
attached on one side thereo~ t~ sai~ p~r~orate~
facestock material and an unperforated release liner,
said method being characterised by the steps of
forming a temporary assembly comprising said
perforated facestock material, said self-adhesive and
a temporary carrier attached to said other side of
said self-adhesive, removing said temporary carrier,
wherein parts of said self-adhesive are adhered to
said temporary carrier and are removed from said
assembly by removing said temporary carrier, and
applying said unperforated liner to said other side
of said self-adhesive.
The perforation of an assembly of facestock,
adhesive and carrier is not at all easy because in
general such assemblies are pliable and may tend to
yield rather than be perforated. In addition,
perforation simultaneously of a plurality of layers
of different materials is7also difficult. With the
invention, however, the role of the carrier is
temporary and it can be chosen with a view to
facilitating the perforation of the assembly. In
contrast, the role of the imperforate liner is
primarily to protect the adhesive prior to
application of the facestock to a base material such
as a window. Thus the material of the imperforate
liner can be selected for its suitability for its
role, that is to say, thickness, weight and
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effectiveness of release coatir.g and ~ th~ut any
regard to the ability to perforate it in combination
with the facestock and adhesive.
Secondly, it should be of a thickness and
stiffness which, combined with the facestock and
adhesive, facilitate manual and mechanical handling
of the assembly throughout the distribution, any
imaging and the application processes.
A~NDED
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W096/20840 PCTIGB96100002
Yet another advantage arises from the invention
if the perforated facestock is transparent. A
design can be applied directly against and facing the
transparent facestock, on the surface remote from the
self-adhesive, so that the facestock can be applied
to the inside of a glass window in order to protect
the design from the weather and vandalism but still
enabling a design to be visible from outside a
building or vehicle. During the printing of such
assemblies, it is advantageous if the liner and the
self-adhesive are transparent, to enable the design
to be visible as it is "built upl~ of different
colours during a printing, spraying or other imaging
process. A temporary carrier suitable for
perforation, such as a siliconised paper or card
material, may be removed and replaced by a
transparent plastic film liner, such as transparent
silicone coated polyester, which is a relatively
difficult material to perforate but is ideal for
seeing the design develop during printing. Such
siliconised filmic liners have superior ~lay flat
characteristics. The use of filmic siliconised
liners also assists the transparency of pressure
sensitive adhesives allowing the adhesive to "wet
out~ or flow more readily against the smooth plastic
surface of filmic liners compared with the imperfect,
irregular surface of siliconised paper liners. A
siliconised film liner also maintains the pressure
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sensitive adhesive in a disposition that is more
perfectly plane. This provides greater clarity of
visibility of any design when the assembly is applied
to a transparent base material such as a window than
is the case when using conventional siliconised paper
or card liners which tend to have relatively
irregular surfaces and to "wet out~ less effectively,
and thereby lead to the formation of minute air
inclusions between the adhesive and the transparent
base material to which the assembly is applied.
Such air inclusions detract from the quality of
perceived image of a design after the product is
applied to a window giving a somewhat hazy
appearance. There is also a marketing benefit,
because the customer or contractor applying the
assembly to windows can see the design on opening a
consignment of products, prior to application, which
would otherwise be obscured by an opaque liner. The
design, colours, overall effect and quality of
printing can be checked before use.
In a further embodiment of the invention the
temporary carrier need not be perforated but still
assist the perforation of the facestock material and,
optionally, the perforation of the self-adhesive, by
~ providing a temporary restraint to the self-adhesive
which would otherwise be likely to be unduly
distorted when it is perforated. For example, any
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attempt to perforate a facestock material and a layer
of self-adhesive by conventional means, such as
mechanical punching and without a restraining
temporary carrier, would be likely to lead to
delamination of the self-adhesive layer from the
facestock material around each hole and/or to
distortion of the self-adhesive around each hole,
resulting from squeezing and/or pulling, by the
punching tool as it is moved through the material to
be perforated and withdrawn. This distortion would
cause some of the self-adhesive to remain inside the
desired holes following perforation. Such self-
adhesive remnants would severely distort vision
through the finished product owing to the lens effect
of such distorted self-adhesive, which is typically
transparent. The restraining temporary carrier
enables the self-adhesive to remain in its desired
position, to retain its desired thickness and at the
same time ensures that the material is punched
relatively cleanly, leaving the holes substantially
clear of self-adhesive remnants.
A temporary assembly may conveniently be made
in a conventional pressure-sensitive adhesive coating
and laminating plant. The facestock material may
be, for example, a plastic film such as polyethylene
or polypropylene or polyvinylchloride film which may
be cast, calendered or blown by conventional means.
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W096/20840 PCTIGB96/00002
The facestock material may have a thickness of from
50~ to 300~. A typical assembly may comprise a 200
thick water clear cast polyvinylchloride film applied
to the self-adhesive coated liner, the self-adhesive
being a layer of water-clear, pressure-sensitive,
acrylic adhesive and the temporary carrier being
typically a 150~ silicone coated paper. This
assembly is mechanically punched with a pattern of
holes of typically 1.5 mm diameter in a 60~
triangulated layout to provide typically 50% holes
and 50% opaque material remaining following
perforation. The perforation pattern may be
different for different products. The hole diameter
may be from say 1 mm to 3 mm diameter. The layout
of holes may be on square pattern or other
arrangement. The percentage opacity may typically
be from 45% to 90% and the percentage of perforations
of from 55% to 10% respectively. The perforated
temporary carrier is then delaminated and a water-
clear silicone coated polyester, unperforated release
liner is adhered to the self-adhesive layer in the
same sequential process, to form a partially
perforated assembly, which is passed between nip
rollers to form the self-adhesive in a more perfectly
plane configuration against the silicone coated side
of the unperforated release liner. The release
liner may be of a thickness ranging for example from
50~ to 200~, the particular thickness being chosen in
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accordance with the desired handling characteristics
of the partially perforated assembly.
The partially perforated assembly can then be
imaged with a design printed onto and facing the
exposed surface of the transparent perforated
facestock. For example, the design can be reverse
screen printed, to be followed by typically screen
printing two layers of white ink and one layer of
black ink. The white layers provide a background to
the design ink and the black layer provides a surface
which assists through vision. A screen printing
machine typically includes a suction bed to hold the
substrate firmly in place and flat during printing,
which can operate with the unperforated liner in
place. If required, the black ink layer is then
protected with a protective film, for example 25~
thick polyester film applied by means of a layer of
water-clear, pressure-sensitive, acrylic adhesive.
This additional protective film is conveniently added
following the removal of a temporary liner from a
protective film self-adhesive assembly, for example
by a conventional cold laminating machine which is a
common item of machinery in screen printing
workshops. The protective film not only protects
the screen printing ink but also prevents dirt
entering the perforations, which would otherwise
detract from the appearance and optical performance
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of vision through the finished product. If the
product is to be used externally, such a protective
film is also useful in preventing water entering the
perforations. Water in the perforations forms a
meniscus which is, in effect, a lens. Such lenses
can distort through vision through the assembly.
This total assembly permits the printed design to be
visible through the transparent perforated facestock,
the self-adhesive and the unperforated liner.
In use, the unperforated liner is removed and
the imaged perforated facestock, the self-adhesive
and, if present, the self-adhesive protective film
are applied to a surface such as a window or other
transparent panel. In a typical completed
configuration, the design is visible through the
glass window, the self-adhesive and the transparent,
perforated, facestock onto which it is applied.
From the other side of the window, the black screen
printed ink layer allows relatively clear vision
through the window, giving the impression of a
moderately tinted window. From a distance, the
included holes and surrounding opaque area cannot be
resolved by the eye. The invention thus forms an
improvement to perforated one-way vision control
materials.
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W096/20840 PCT1GB96100002
In addition to screen printing other methods of
design imaging which may be used include offset litho
printing, gravure printing, electronic imaging, for
example using electrostatic or ink jet systems,
transfer from a carrier layer such as hot foil
stamping and air brushing.
As an alternative, the first printed design and
layers of white ink can be overprinted with a second
design facing in the opposite direction to the first
design.
The perforated facestock may be treated by
applying a design and/or an applied layer before or
after perforation and the self-adhesive layer may be
applied to such a treated surface of the perforated
facestock or to an untreated surface of the
perforated facestock. For example, the design can
be applied to a surface of the facestock prior to
forming the temporary assembly, either on the surface
which is intended to be remote from the self-
adhesive, or on the surface to which the adhesive is
to be applied. In either of these two cases the
design may be applied to a white facestock surface
and the facestock may be of two layers, for example
white and black laminated plastic films such as
polyester and/or polyvinylchloride film, or the black
layer can be a layer of marking material applied
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before or after the design is applied to the white
surface. The facestock will be transparent, of
course, if a design is reverse printed against it, on
either side, to be visible through the facestock from
the other side of the facestock.
In another embodiment the design is not applied
to the perforated facestock, but is applied to the
self-adhesive, typically by transfer from a carrier
membrane, for example a silicone coated polyester or
other plastic film with a low energy surface. The ink
may be reverse printed by a four colour process such
as screen printing, offset litho printing or an
electronic imaging system onto a carrier. The gaps
between ink deposits, or the ink, or the dye, allow
sufficient residual adhesive tack to affix the
facestock to a window or other transparent panel, the
design being preferably visible through the glass
window. Typically either the self-adhesive is
water-clear with a facestock of white and black
layers, for example laminated white and black plastic
film of polyester and/or polyvinylchloride, or the
self-adhesive is coloured white and the facestock is
black plastic film. Alternatively, if the design
faces the self-adhesive, both the self-adhesive and
the perforated facestock are transparent to allow the
design to be seen through them. All the embodiments
with a design applied to the self-adhesive provide
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W096/20840 PCT/GB96100002
protection to both sides of the design after the
facestock has been applied to a window or other base
material. In a preferred embodiment the carrier for
the printed design also forms the unperforated liner
in the partially perforated assembly, such that when
the unperforated liner is removed from the assembly,
the design is released from the carrier, i.e. the
unperforated liner and remains on the self-adhesive
in the completed configuration. The resulting
product can then be applied to a window or other
surface. The design may be printed on the
unperforated liner before it is applied to the self-
adhesive, or after it has been applied and
subsequently delaminated by a printer, for example by
use of a ~'turn bar" in web, roll to roll printing
equipment. After printing on the unperforated
liner, the printed unperforated liner is re-laminated
to the assembly in a re-laminating unit.
In another embodiment removal of the temporary
carrier also removes part of the self-adhesive
adhered to it and, optionally, parts of the facestock
material that have been cut and are intended to be
removed to form the desired perforated facestock and
perforated self-adhesive prior to the application of
the unperforated liner.
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13
The facestock material an~, o~tionally~ the
self-adhesive and temporary carrier may be
perforated, for example, by mechanical punching, by
laser or other means of cutting or by burning. The
temperature of the materials being perforated may be
reduced or increased from ambient temperatures to
assist such perforation, including the option of
reducing the temperature of the materials being
perforated below the freezing point of water, known
as cryogenic techniques. The perforation of the
facestock material and self-adhesive may take place
simultaneously with the perforation of the temporary
carrier.
A layer of material may be applied to the
facestock to act as a background to a design.
Alternatively such a layer may serve as a receptor
coating to assist the adhesion of a design, as a
protection to a design or ~or any other function and
may be opaque, transparent or translucent. Such
layer or layers and/or any designs may be applied
after perforation or before perforation of the
facestock.
An unperforated protective self-adhesive film
or otherwise attached layer may also be applied over
the facestock and over any applied design or other
layer. The unperforated liner has a further
AMEND'DS~ET
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14
advantage of preventing dirt entering the
perforations and adhering to the self-adhesive
surface of such a protective self-adhesive film,
prior to the application of the perforated facestock
and protective self-adhesive film to a base material.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the
facestock material may be first perforated and an
unperforated self-adhesive applied to the perforated
facestock material by means of a temporary carrier
on which the self-adhesive is deposited. The
adhesive tack of the self-adhesive to the temporary
carrier is less than the adhesive tack of the self-
adhesive to the facestock but is sufficient to cause
the self-adhesive to rupture around the boundaries of
the perforations in the perforated facestock, such
that the self-adhesive is perforated in substantially
the same positions as the perforated facestock when
the temporary carrier is removed, leaving the
perforated self-adhesive attached to the perforated
facestock. The unperforated liner is then applied
to form the assembly of the invention.
This method may be undertaken by a manufacturer
of self-adhesive assemblies for sale to customers to
use or to image before use. Alternatively, it can
be undertaken by printers or other imagers of a
perforated facestock, by means of transfer tape.
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W096/20840 PCT/~G~C~v~2
The term transfer tape conventionally means a layer
of self-adhesive material sandwiched between two
liners, a first liner having an easier release from
the self-adhesive than the second liner. As used in
the invention, the first liner is removed and the
self-adhesive layer applied to the perforated
facestock and the second liner is pulled away,
bringing with it the adhesive not adhered to the
perforated facestock, that is to say substantially
removing self-adhesive from the areas of the
individual perforations in the perforated facestock.
Specific embodiments of the invention will now
be described by way of example with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which similar parts of
different embodiments have been given the same
reference numerals and in which:-
Fig.1 illustrates a sequence of manufacture ofsuch perforated self-adhesive assemblies
and application thereof to a window or
other surface;
Figs.lA to lH are cross-sections through a
perforated self-adhesive assembly
consisting of a facestock material 2, a
self-adhesive layer 4 and a temporary
carrier 6;
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wOs6/20840 PCT/~3G/C~~2
Fig.lB illustrates a self-adhesive assembly
which has been perforated with holes lO;
In Fig.lC the perforated temporary carrier 6 is
being removed from the perforated self-
adhesive layer 4;
Fig.lD illustrates the perforated facestock 2
and perforated adhesive layer 4 with the
temporary perforated carrier 6 having
been totally removed;
In Fig.lE a replacement unperforated liner 12
has been applied to the perforated self-
adhesive layer 4;
In Fig.lF a design 14 has been applied to the
perforated facestock 2;
In Fig.lG the replacement unperforated liner 12
has been removed to enable, in Fig.lH,
the application of the perforated
facestock 2 with design 14, by means of
the perforated self-adhesive layer 4 to a
base material 16, such as a glass window;
Fig.2 illustrates cross-sections through a
perforated self-adhesive assembly with an
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W096/20840 PCTIGB96/00002
unperforated replacement liner with an
image applied to the perforated
facestock;
In Fig.2A at least one opaque or transparent
layer 16 is applied to the perforated
facestock and a design 18 is applied to
the layer 16;
In Fig.2B a design 20 is applied to a
transparent perforated facestock 2 and at
least one opaque or transparent layer 16
is applied over the design 20 and other
parts of the perforated facestock;
In Fig.2C a design 20 is applied to a
transparent facestock 2; at least one
opaque or transparent layer 16 and a
design 18 is applied to the layer 16;
Fig.3 illustrates a sequence of manufacture of
such perforated self-adhesive assemblies
in which a design is applied to the self-
adhesive before being applied to a window
or other surface;
Figs.3A to 3D are similar to Figs.lA to lD
except that the facestock material 2
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18
comprises a laminate of black film 1 with
white film 3;
Fig.3X shows a design 22 applied to a carrier
membrane 24;
Fig.3E shows design 22 applied to self-adhesive
layer 4 by transfer from carrier
membrane 24;
In Fig.3F a replacement unperforated liner 12
has been applied to the perforated self-
adhesive layer 4 and design 22;
In Fig.3G the replacement unperforated liner 12
has been removed to enable, in Fig.3H,
the application of the perforated
facestock 2 with design 22, by means of
the perforated self-adhesive layer 4 to a
base material 16, such as a glass window;
Figs.3Y and 3Z illustrate a variation of the
method shown in Figs.3A to 3H;
In Fig.3X design 22 is applied to replacement
unperforated liner 12;
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19
In Fig.3Z the replacement unperforated liner 12
with design 22 is attached to the
temporary assembly with temporary carrier
removed as illustrated in Fig.3D. When
the unperforated liner 12 is subsequently
removed, design 22 is transferred from
the replacement unperforated liner 12 to
the adhesive 4, as illustrated in Fig.3G,
and the perforated facestock 2, the
perforated self-adhesive 4 and applied
design 22 may then be attached to the
base material 16, as illustrated in
Fig.3H;
Fig.4 illustrates a sequence of manufacture of
perforated self-adhesive assemblies in
which unwanted adhesive is removed from a
continuous layer by means of a temporary
carrier;
Fig.4A illustrates a facestock material;
Fig.4B shows a perforated facestock material;
Fig.4X illustrates a transfer tape with a
- removable first liner 30;
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Fig.4Y shows the tape of Fig.4X after removal
of liner 30, temporary carrier 6 and
self-adhesive layer 4 being ready for
application to perforated facestock 2 to
achieve the assembly of Fig.4C;
Fig.4C illustrates temporary carrier 6 with a
continuous layer of self-adhesive 4
applied to it;
Fig.4D illustrates the temporary carrier 6
being removed and bringing away with it
adhesive in the hole positions 10 which
is not directly adhered to the perforated
facestock;
Fig.4E shows the temporary assembly with
temporary carrier 6 removed;
Fig.4F shows replacement unperforated liner 12
attached to self-adhesive 4.
